Index for selective automatic phonographs



March 13, 1951 M, w KENNEY 2,545,362

INDEX FOR SELECTIVE AUTOMATIC PHONOGRAPHS Filed Oct. 31, 1945 INVENTOR.

Patented Mar. 13, 1951 INDEX FOR SELECTIVE. AUTQMATIC PHONOGRAPHS lvlahlon W. Kenney, Oak Park, Ill., assignor' to J. P. Seeburg Corporation, Chicago, 111., a. corporation of Illinois Application October 31, 1945, Serial No. 625,784

This invention relates to an index for selective automatic phonographs and has for its principal object to provide such an index which is capable of accommodating a large number of recording titles in a relatively small space.

The coin controlled automatic phonographs and remote control boxes therefor widely in use at the present time provide for around twenty or twenty-four recordings which may be selected by a patron. It is customary to provide on such phonographs and in remote control boxes therefor an array of recording titles with associated numbers sothat a patron can select which re-- cording or recordings he desires to have reproduced and obtain the rendition of such recordings by inserting the appropriate coins and actuating selector mechanisms in accordance with the numbers of the recordings. The titles are normally carried on replaceable cards and since they must bear the title of the recording usually the name of the artist and frequently the name of the record maker, these cards need a fair sized area for their display.

For a phonograph intended for a large number of recordings, for example one hundred recordings, the display area for the title cards is excessive in the case of the phonograph itself and is. prohibitive in the case of a remote. control box. Even if it were possible. to spread the title cardsout it would be diflicult for the patron to scrutinize the title cards for the purpose. of

finding. the titles he des res.

The principal object of the present invention is to provide a relatively small and compact index for a large numbe of recording titles.

ther objects, advantages and capabilities of the invention will appear from the following description of a preferred embodiment thereof taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawing, in which:

Fig. 1 is a plan view of a. remote control. box provided with my improved index;

Fig. 2 isv a front elevation thereof;

Fig; 3 is a fragmentary plan view of the panels which carry the title cards;

Fig.4 is a sectional plan view, the section being taken on. the line 44 of- Fig. 2;

5 is, a fragmentary plan View of the panshowing a cliiierent type of hinge; and

Fig. Sis a fragmentary elevational view of' the '5 Claims. (01. ML-102) surface for the operating instructions.

42, 1944, by Herman G. Jensen, now Patent No. 2,489,782, patented November 29 1949'. In. this box a coin of suitable value is inserted in a coinslot Ill and the selection is completed by pressing one of each of two series of buttons H and I2. Thus to selectrecording No. 48 the lefthand' button l'l bearing the No. 4 and the righthand button i2 bearing the No. 8 are pressed in. In this: way any selection from 00 to 99 can be made, that is one hundred selections in all The index indicated generally by the reference numeral I3 is located on top of the remote control box which is indicated generally by the reference numeral M The whole device is closed by a removable housing which is secured to the chassis of the wall box by a lock l5 in known manner. The upper part of the housing includes a transparent wall l6 which is suitably of semicylindrical form. This transparent wall which may be of glass or of a suitable transparent plastic material is seated in the housing bearing against lower and upper flanges H and l8 respectively and is secured in place by means of removable strips l9.

The wall box and the index are mounted upon a wall by means of a flanged plate 20 which conforms to the marginal shape of the housing in manner that the flanges extend into the margin of the cover when the cover is locked in mounted position. The housing comprises a top wall 2| and an intermediate horizontal wall 22. The top wall 2! and the intermediate wall 22 together with the transparent wall l6 constitute a com partment for a plurality of index panels 23 The intermediate wall 22 is illuminated as hereinafter described and serves as a suitable display The top wall 2-! is provided with a cut-out 24- into which fits a plate 25 carried by the plate 20; The plate 25 carries the coin slot Ill, serves as an upper support for a vertical rod 26 and is provided with a semi-circular slot 21.

The intermediate wall 22 is provided with a cut-out 28 into: which extends a complementary horizontal plate 29 which serves as a lower support for the vertical rod 26. The two extreme panels 23 are mounted on the plate 20 by means of spacing supports 36. A coin chute (not shown) extends downwardly from the coin slot Ill between the stationary panels 23 and the plate 26 so that an inserted coin drops down into the coin actuated mechanism in the wall box.

The other panels 23, four in number, carry 0y lindrica-l bearing elements 31 which are located around the rod 26' so that all of these four panels may be swung through substantially onehundred and eighty degrees from superimposed relation with respect to the left-hand and righthand stationary panels 23. A coil spring 32 mounted on the rod 26 extends into the two central panels so that one of these panels is biassed into superimposed relation with respect to the left-hand stationary panel 23 and the other is blessed into superimposed relation with the right-hand stationary panel. When the movable panels are free they assume the relation illustrated in Fig. 4, the second and fifth panels being carried into this position by the third and fourth panels respectively. Each of the movable panels carries at its upper end a rod 33 which extends upwardly through the arcuate slot 21 and carries at its upper end a suitable nob or manipulating handle 34 whereby the four movable panels may be moved to the left or to the right so as to enable the patron to scrutinize either side of any of the movable panels. These six panels consequently provide ten sides to serve as display surfaces for cards 35 which bear the numbers of the selections and have applied thereto legends indicating the titles of the recordings and such other data as is deemed desirable. These cards may be secured to the display sides of the panels in any suitable manner. The display sides of the panels may carry card retaining members 36 between which the cards may be slid into mounted position.

The index housing may be illuminated by means of bulbs Sloarried by the top plate 25. These bulbs are located near the forward side of the index housing so that they effectively illuminate the panels and the intermediate wall 22. In order to shield the patrons eyes from the glare of the bulbs they are preferably located in an upwardly arched formation 38 in the upper wall 2! above the flange 58. Y It will readily be understood that when the handles 34 are not engaged by the patrons hand the adjacent sides of the third and fourth panel are presented for the patronsinspection. Consequently it is preferred to arrange the record ings so thatthose which are currently most popular correspond to the numbers at to 59. To locate the other selections it is necessary for the patron to engage the handles 34 and to swing one or two of the movable panels from their normal position. In this way. the patron is able to scrutinize all of the ten display sides of all Having thus described my invention l declare that what I claim is:

1. In a selector for automatic phonographs, an index comprising a housing including a transparent Wall, a plurality of movable panels having on both sides. indicia indicating recordings which may be selected, adjacents means pivotally supporting the movable panels within the housing, a manually actuable element carried by each panel and extending to the exterior of the movable panels,

swung about its pivotal axis into superimposed relation to the other panels, whereby all the indicia on the panels can be inspected through said transparent wall, spring means biassing two of said panels in opposite direction, and abutment means arresting said two panels substantially in a plane whereby the indicia on adjacent sides thereof are normally presented for inspection.

'2. In a selector lcr automatic phouographs, an index comprising a housing ll'lClLldlIlg a transparent wall, a pair of aligned stationary panels, each adapted to sup-port indicia indicating recordings which may be selected, a movable panel having on both sides indicia indicating recordings which may be selected, means pivotally supporting the movable panel adjacent the center of the stationary panels, spring means normally biassing the movable panel into superimposed relation to one of said stationary panels, and a manually actuable element carried by the movabie panel and extending to the exterior of the housing whereby the movable anel may be swung into superimposed relation to the other stationary panel.

3. In a selector for automatic phonographs, an index comprising a housing includ ng a tran-s parent wall, a pair of aligned stationary panels, each adapted to support indicia indicating recordings which may be selected, a plurality of each having on both sides indicia indicating record ngs which may be selected, means pivotaliy supporting the movable panels adjacent the center of the stationary panels, manually actuable means carried by each mow able panel and extending to the exterior of the housing whereby the movable panels may be swung about their pivotal axes into superimposed relation to either of said stationary panels, whereby all the indicia on the panels can be inspected through said transparent wall, and spring means .biassing two adjacent movable pane s into superimposed relation to the stationary panels whereby the adjacent sides of said two movable panels are always normally presented for inspection.

4. In a selector for automatic phonographs, an index comprising a housing having a substantially semi-cylindrical transparent wall, a plurality of movable panels, each adapted to sup- .pot on both sides indicia indicating recordings which may be selected, means pivotally supporting the movable panels adjacent the axis of revolution of said semi-cylindrical wall, whereby each movable panel may be swung into superimposed relation to the other panels, manually actuable element carried by each panel and extending to the exterior of the housing whereby the panels may be moved about their pivotal axes to permit all the indicia on the panels to be inspected through said transparent wall, spring means biassing two of said panels in opposite directions, and abutment means arresting said two panels substantially in diametrical relation to the transparent wall, whereby the indicia on adjacent sides thereof are normally presented for inspection.

5. In a selector for automatic phonographs, an index comprising a housing having a substantially semi-cylindrical transparent wall, a pair of aligned stationary panels in substantially diametric relation to said wall, each panel being adapted to support indicia indicating recordings which may be selected, a plurality of movable panels, each adapted to support on both sides indicia indicating recordings which may be selected, means pivotally supporting the movable panels adjacent the axis of revolution of said semicylindrical wall, manually actuable means carried by each movablepanel and extending to the exterior of the housing whereby each movable panel may be swung into superimposed relation to each stationary panel, and spring means biassing only the two central movable panels apart, thereby normally locating some of the movable panels in superimposed relation to each stationary panel and generally in diametric relation to the semi-cylindrical wall, whereby the adjacent faces of the two central panels are normally presented for inspection.

MAHLON W. KENNEY.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS 

